By Teuila Fuatai Essex County library workers are hoping for movement at the bargaining table after receiving confirmation from its library board more negotiations were being planned. Fifty-eight library workers, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), have been on strike for more than four months over a contract offer attempting to overhaul Continue readingEssex County library workers still striking
strike
By Robert DeVet, rankandfile.ca East Coast correspondent Chronicle Herald newsroom workers have been walking the picket line since management left them no choice but to go on strike more than seven months ago. And they have been reporting the news. The Local Xpress, a news website run entirely by striking reporters, photographers and editors, saw Continue readingWorkers-run Local Xpress puts Chronicle Herald to shame
By Daniel Tseghay Since Aug. 2, members of locals 9 and 11 of the Education and Training Employees’ Association (ETEA) have been on strike over wages, unpaid work, and workplace surveillance. They made the decision to strike after negotiations broke down. Local 9 represents private instructors at Vancouver English Centre (VEC) in Vancouver and Local Continue readingPrivate schools hoard profits: Picket pay an upgrade for striking instructors
By Peter Olney For many private sector employers, the lockout has become the offensive weapon of choice. Last year’s second-biggest private sector work stoppage, for instance, wasn’t a strike. It was the lockout of 2,200 United Steelworkers members at Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI). Lockouts are forced by employers, not called by unions. Too often unions Continue readingFor unions, sometimes a lockout is better than a strike
By Daniel Tseghay On May 1st, Vancouver’s Rio Theatre will premier a documentary, Goodwin’s Way about Albert “Ginger” Goodwin, an early-20th century labour organizer. It’s a story of workers organizing BC’s coal mines and resisting the war effort, and Goodwin’s untimely death for leading both. The film centers on Ginger Goodwin. Can you tell me Continue readingGoodwin’s Way: An interview with director Neil Vokey
By Robert Devet Sydney, Cape Breton, has always been a union town, and it shows, says local Chronicle Herald reporter Tom Ayers. Ayers, who has worked as a Cape Breton reporter for well over a decade, and has been with the Herald for two years, is on strike. With his two colleagues he can be found walking Continue readingWalking the picket line in Sydney, Cape Breton
By Dan Darrah In the wake of a contract dispute unresolved by conciliation and bargaining, 61 workers at the Halifax-based Chronicle-Herald newspaper walked off the job late last Friday, mandated by an overwhelming 98.3 per cent in favour of strike vote. In negotiations prior, management was adamant in its position of a 17 per cent Continue readingHTU Striking for Jobs and Journalism
By Robert Devet 138 days. That’s how long blood collection workers at the Canadian Blood Services (CBS) in Prince Edward Island have been walking the picket line. The eight CBS workers, members of the Nova Scotia Union of Public and Private Employees (NSUPE) are all part-timers. And they’re all women. All they want is a Continue readingCanadian Blood Services Workers in PEI on Strike for Over Four Months
By Brad Walchuk A recent strike at Covered Bridge Potato Chips in Hartland, New Brunswick has garnered considerable attention in the popular labour media, and, to a lesser degree, even in the mainstream media. The strike is noteworthy for a number of reasons and provides a compelling look into contemporary labour relations, especially for the Continue readingStrike Wave: The Need for Mandatory First Contract Arbitration in Canada
By Gerard Di Trolio Right now, scabs are the secret ingredient in Covered Bridge Potato Chips made near Hartland, New Brunswick. After members of UFCW 1288P began their strike for a first contract on January 5, Covered Bridge turned to scab labour. Workers are seeking their first collective agreement with Covered Bridge after voting to Continue readingBoycott Scab Chips
By Stephen Ellis As they head into the seventh week of their strike and the weather turns cold, workers of UNITE HERE local 75 at the Holiday Inn on Norfinch Drive in North York, Ontario remain hot on the trail of a fair contract. On Oct. 5, 2015 hospitality workers walked off the job to Continue readingUNITE HERE Local 75: Their fight is our fight
By Susan Srigley, NUFA President On Nov. 2, full-time faculty at Nipissing University, represented by the Nipissing University Faculty Association in North Bay, Bracebridge, and Brantford walked off the job after months of negotiations and failed provincial conciliation. The issues remaining on the table are: governance, job security, faculty complement and compensation. North Bay, a Continue readingWhat’s happening at Nipissing University?